Archive for the ‘What To See In Marrakech’ Category

If you prefer to avoid crowds and sweltering heat, you should seriously consider visiting Marrakech in January. Temperatures are mild enough to be pleasant (4 – 18 degrees), there is plenty of sunshine (averaging 7 hours per day) and there is as much to see and do as at other times of year.

Visiting Marrakech in January – Events and Festivals

One of the main events to take in while visiting the Ochre City in January is the International Marathon of Marrakech. Scheduled to take place on the 28th of the month, this prestigious marathon is expected to attract over 8,000 runners including many of the world’s biggest marathon stars. The opportunity to see some of the world’s greatest athletes compete on a beautiful course taking in the most attractive of the city’s many avenues and boulevards lined with palm, orange and olive trees, is too good to miss.

Another major international event is the United Cultures Trade Show. Involving 92 nations and 644 designers, this one-week event, outlining among other things United Cultures’ plans for the next five years, is designed to encourage nations to form economic partnerships.

Visiting Marrakech in January – Things to Do

Marrakech has an array of wonderful museums and January is the perfect time to visit them in ideal conditions. One of these is the little-known, yet highly respected Musée Boucharouite. Beautifully located within an 18th Century riad, this quaint museum was created by Patrick de Maillard, an avid collector of popular Moroccan art. The gallery features an array of Berber boucharouites (rugs crafted from recycled cloth), agricultural implements, painted doors and more – and visitors can also enjoy refreshments on the roof terrace.

Where to Stay

Offering all the comforts you’d expect from a luxurious boutique hotel (including spa facilities, a pool and much more), Les Borjs de la Kasbah is a peaceful characterful retreat from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, yet close enough to the action to enjoy everything Marrakech has to offer. Book your stay here.

Although visiting Marrakech in December may involve packing a few items of warmer clothing for the evenings, the climate is by no means cold, in the European sense, despite the presence of the snow-capped Atlas, as temperatures range from a minimum 6 degrees at night to 19 during the afternoon and sunshine hours average a perfectly respectable 7 hours per day.

Visiting Marrakech in December – Events and Festivals

The month begins with Mawlid un Nabi, a festival marking the birth of the Prophet Muhammad. This is a day of prayer for Muslims combined with performances of the Prophet’s story through related poems and odes.

This month also sees the staging of the renowned Marrakech International Film Festival, a long established event (scheduled to take place between the 2nd and 10th December) attended by national and international film makers including famous producers, directors and actors. (N. B. These dates could not be precisely confirmed at time of writing). Screens are set up in several places for free public viewings of films including the central ‘Place Jemaa el Fna’.

Although, statistically, November is the year’s wettest month in Morocco, those visiting Marrakech in November will find that it’s still significantly milder and much less wet than in most of Europe. What’s more, visiting the Ochre City at this time of year makes for an appreciably less busy and less expensive break than at the height of the tourist season (October and April). Here are some interesting events to schedule into your trip.

Visiting Marrakech in November – Events and Festivals

On 6th November, Marrakech – and indeed all of Morocco – celebrates the 42nd anniversary of the “Green March”. On this day in November 1975 Morocco’s people took to the streets to demonstrate against Spanish colonial influence to the south of the country and demand the return of Morocco’s southernmost province to Moroccan rule. Marked by colourful parades, a palace reception and celebrations involving traditional music and food, the 18th November is Independence Day in Morocco commemorating the declaration of Morocco’s independence from Spanish and French colonial powers.

Coinciding with the opening this autumn of the ‘Musée Yves Saint Laurent’ in Paris, located in the former fashion house and current headquarters of the ‘Fondation Pierre Bergé – Yves Saint Laurent’, the inauguration of the new ‘Musée Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech’ takes place in October 2017.

Dedicated to the work of the eponymous French fashion designer, the museum will house an important selection from the unique collection of the ‘Pierre Bergé – Yves Saint Laurent Foundation’ comprising 5,000 items of clothing and 15,000 haute couture accessories as well as tens of thousands of sketches and assorted objects, all currently archived in Paris.

Situated on Rue Yves Saint Laurent, adjacent to the famous Jardin Majorelle, a major tourist attraction in Marrakech with some 700,000 visitors annually, the purpose-built museum spans over 4,000 m² of which some 400 m² is a permanent exhibition space showcasing Yves Saint Laurent’s work; there is also a 130-seat auditorium, a bookshop, café-restaurant with terrace and research library housing 5,000 books.

Despite a marked decline compared with September, average daily temperatures in Marrakech during October are very pleasant, ranging between 14° and 28°, a welcome contrast with the oppressive heat of summer. With monthly rainfall increasing only slightly to some 23 mm and sunshine hours of around nine hours per day, October is one of the best months for visiting the ‘Pink City’. And, of course, there is plenty to see and do in terms of events and festivals if you’ll be visiting Marrakech and the western region of Morocco in October 2017.

Visiting Marrakech in October – Events and Festivals

Starting on 11th October, the Trophée Rose des Sables, is a high octane, women-only motor race involving 4x4s, SSVs, ATVs and motorcycles. The event runs until October 22nd.

Starting on the 17th and ending on the 22nd of October 2017, the El Jadida Horse Show is a 7-day spectacle in and around the west coast town designed to highlight Morocco’s equestrian tradition. The event is expected to attract over 100 exhibitors from 35 countries.

For music lovers, the Festival Andalous in Essaouira, also on the Atlantic, is a must. Scheduled to take place from the 26th to the 28th of October 2017, this international festival consists of a series of dynamic international events comprising the ‘Musical Spring of Alizés’ and ‘Gnaoua & Musiques du Monde’ concerts.

From 26th to 29th October there is the colourful, long established Erfoud Date Festival beyond the Atlas, on the northern edge of the Sahara (learn more).

October also sees a variety of trade shows and conferences (learn more), including TEDx Marrakech. Taking place on the 21st October 2017, on the theme of “Tribes and Trolls”, the event is focused on the digital world and its influence on our lives in the 21st Century.

Visiting Marrakech in October – Things to Do

October is a good time to enjoy a little ‘shopping therapy’. A good place to visit is 33 Rue Majorelle, a store comprising a large number of boutiques and shops, perfect for souvenir hunting.

For families at half term, the extensive pools, water rides and affordable restaurants of the Oasiria Water Park offers a fun day out – and welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Les Borjs de la Kasbah

Looking for somewhere to stay while visiting Marrakech in October? Look no further – Les Borjs de la Kasbah, highly rated on review sites, offers peace, tranquility and every comfort within close proximity of some of the city’s finest attractions, not least the Tombeaux Saadiens on the edge of the Kasbah.

Regular visitors to Marrakech looking for something new to admire would be well advised to pay a visit to one of the city’s latest attractions in the shape of the ‘Musée Mohammed VI pour la Civilisation de l’Eau au Maroc’.

A major new attraction

Founded by Morocco’s Ministry of Habous & Islamic Affairs, the body responsible, among other things, for environmental issues and ecologically sustainable development, this new museum in Marrakech is not only one of the largest cultural projects ever launched in Morocco but the biggest such attraction on the African continent dedicated solely to water management.

Opened on 2nd May 2017, the ‘Musée Mohammed VI’ pays tribute to Morocco’s achievements in water management in recent years. Set within the leafy environment of the Palmeraie district of Marrakech, the attraction is one of the new generation of museums designed to be both entertaining and educational, historical as well as scientific.

Temperatures in September dip slightly from those of August to a more tolerable 27 ͦ but the Ochre City remains hot and busy. Despite this, there are many exciting festivals to look out for.

The month starts with the Aid el-Kebir, the ‘Feast of Sacrifice’, commemorating the biblical story of Abraham’s readiness to sacrifice his son. This important religious-come-social event, involving the dispatch of innumerable sheep, is a time for family reunions and feasting. Many businesses will be closed during the festival, between 1st/2nd September.

Oasis Festival – scheduled for 15th-18th September, the Oasis Festival is an annual event featuring the finest underground electronic music talents as well as other activities including yoga sessions, surf trips and more.

Achoura – this eagerly anticipated festival on 30th September and 1st October involves feasting, music, song and dance and lots of other fun activities for old and young alike.

Although Marrakech is best known for its historic and architectural treasures it is also home to a fine selection of galleries allowing one to appreciate contemporary and modern Moroccan and African art. Galleries to look out for include the:

Scorching hot and dusty, August in Marrakech is for sun lovers. Average temperatures range between 20 and 38 degrees and there is little, if any, rain. Thus, locating a place to stay with a proper swimming pool (many riads have little more than ornamental or ‘plunge’ pools) becomes an essential requirement.

Tempting as it is to stay put in these conditions, enjoying the comforts and facilities of one’s hotel, venturing out to explore the ‘ochre city’ and its attractions is well worth the effort as there’s plenty to see and do.

Marrakech August 2017 Events

Oued Ed-Dahab Day – The 14th August is a national holiday commemorating the day on which the southern province of Oued Ed-Dahab was recovered from Mauritania.

July, like August, is the height of European and American tourist season although, in Morocco, it is actually Low Season on account of the scorching temperatures. Rainfall is negligible, apart from the occasional thunderstorm, and temperatures range from night-time lows of 21 degrees to highs of 37 degrees during the day. It is therefore imperative to take all necessary precautions to prevent dehydration and heat exhaustion.

Despite the heat, Marrakech in July sees a number of exciting festivals well worth including into your programme.

This month’s events start with ‘Marrakech du Rire’, the 7th annual International Festival of Humour being held between 28 June and 02 July. Aimed at a francophone audience but featuring nationally and internationally renowned comedians, the festival is compered by the events’ founder, Franco-Moroccan actor and comedian Jamel Debbouze (one of the stars of the film ‘Amélie’). The Marrakech Festival du Rire is held in the El Badi Palace, other events taking place at the Theatre Royal and French Institute.

In mid-June (date still to be confirmed) a 3-day Cherry Festival is held in Sefrou (a village closer to Fes than Marrakech) to celebrate the region’s farming and cultural heritage. The event includes a ‘Cherry Queen’ pageant consisting of a parade, with bands, street performers and colourful floats, as well as a market selling not only cherries but an array of other local products. An efficient, affordable rail service links Marrakech with Fes, the journey alone, through the Moroccan countryside and desert landscapes, making this an event well worth undertaking.